The Table Bay Hotel: unashamed luxury, superb cuisine, and a view like no other

She may be a quarter of a century old, but the Table Bay Hotel at the V&A Waterfront is as fresh and elegant as the day she was built, says Brian Berkman. It's no wonder this iconic hotel continues to draw so many visitors.

- Brian Berkman

Table Bay Hotel turns 25 this year, and few would deny that Sun International deserves recognition for its foresight and exceptional management.

According to Anthony Leeming, Sun International CEO, in 1997 people questioned why a premium hotel would be built in a gritty working harbour, especially as the V&A Waterfront was a long way from being the destination it is today.

"Right from the start, we saw the potential in establishing a world-class hotel in the heart of what we recognised would be a rapidly evolving tourism destination. Today, we're envied for having the best address in Cape Town," he says.

Leeming recalls that former Sun International CEO Sol Kerzner was adamant that the hotel be built at an angle, facing Table Mountain head-on. From the opposite angle the hotel offers unobstructed, equally beautiful views across Table Bay, all the way to Robben Island and beyond.

When Farmer's Weekly visited in August, the hotel appeared to be at high capacity, with large groups of tourists and as many South African ex-pats returning to holiday with their families in Cape Town. With 329 keys, this is a large property. The hotel's general manager, Joanne Selby, says of the COVID-19 lockdown: "In 2020, for the first time in our history, we were closed for seven months, but despite the temporary closure, we were committed to retaining as many of our staff as possible, and it's heartening to celebrate our silver anniversary with them."